1. Field of the Invention:
This invention pertains to the field of physical exercise equipment and in particular relates to a combination stepper/climber exercise machine characterized in that the climber portion of the machine is retractable into a supporting element of the stepper portion of the machine, so that the machine can be collapsed to a compact configuration.
2. State of the Prior Art
Stepper exercise machines provide a simulated stair climbing exercise, and such machines are in popular use. Generally, the stepper machine has two foot operated levers or pedals pivoted to a free-standing supporting frame and synchronized by an appropriate mechanism, such as an interconnecting pulley arrangement, so that one lever rises as the other is depressed. The movement of the foot levers is damped by a resistance element, such as a hydraulic cylinder, to oppose the weight of the user bearing down on the foot levers. The result is an alternating up and down motion of the foot levers as the user's weight is shifted from one lever to the other, simulating the effort required in climbing a staircase.
A climber exercise machine, on the other hand, typically has left and right handles at an overhead level, requiring the user to reach up to grasp the handles, which are alternately pulled down to a chest level against a yielding resistance, the handles returning to their elevated position when pulling force climbing a cliff for example where the arms are called onto to pull-up the weight of the climber along the cliff face.
Combination stepper/climber exercise machines are also known, as exemplified by Wang U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,441 and 4,982,952. Both these patented devices have an elongated support member which rises to the full height necessary to support the handles of the climber portion of the exerciser at or above eye level of a user standing on the stepper portion of the device. The overall height of the device can be reduced for shipment or storage only by disassembling the machine. Other known combinations stepper/climber exercise machine suffer from the same shortcoming, in that they can not be readily and conveniently downsized for transport or storage.
What is needed is a combination stepper/climber which can be easily collapsed to a compact configuration when not in use, without need of tooling by the average, mechanically unskilled user.